


Knight of the Ice God

by Dreamtiel



Category: Brave Frontier
Genre: (will add more tags as more characters pop up), M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-11-06 18:06:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11041464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamtiel/pseuds/Dreamtiel
Summary: From the ruins of the Sama Kingdom, there once existed a knight who was feared by all his subordinates for his cold demeanor both inside and outside of battle. But what happens when he becomes tangled in the business of a certain Prince who's recently become the kingdom's source of gossip and mockery? Although Sergio had always insisted on working alone, will he eventually realize what it truly means to be lonely? And will Arius ever learn to truly mature in these times of war?





	1. 1: Dawn of a Friendship

The first time I met the Third Prince of Sama, Arius, was the day I was knighted. I can’t forget how he was back then, nor could I forget my own thoughts at the time.

 

“Hey,” he whispered to me back then. “Congrats!” He had smiled at me, against the formalities that was expected of the royal family. I could see his father, the King, side-eye him with disapproval. Yet his smile didn’t fade even when he stepped back into line.

 

“Innocent” was the only way I could've described him back then. He wasn't anything like his older brothers; he was wide-eyed like a baby deer and cheerful for a prince who grew up in the time of war. Even for someone who had just turned twenty years old, he looked like a young boy.

 

Something about him… pissed me off greatly back then. 

 

We didn't interact much in the early days of the war. Occasionally I'd see him wandering outside the barracks, practicing his intricate ice spells and trying his hand at swordplay with ease. Although his demeanor was rather-- how should I put this-- obnoxious, there was no doubt that he had a talent for both wielding a sword and ice magic. Hell, he may as well have had an edge over his brothers. 

 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the tiniest bit jealous. I vaguely remember the day when I heard in the conversations of other soldiers that the prince had been given the title of Commander in the Sama Navy. I shrugged it off. After all, I was part of the Cavalry Unit. Actually, the leader of a unit, specifically. What happened in his division should not have affected me. 

 

Should not…

 

It all started with the rumors that spread throughout the barracks of a scandal. I paid no mind to it at first, but soon it was unavoidable. He had been painting pictures of the Hero, Selena, without her consent. The specifics varied, but that was the gist of it.

 

“Do you think he had to peep in on her to paint it?” I could hear someone giggle.

 

“Heh, who'd have thought? The third prince is a pervert?” was what I heard sometimes in the middle of scouting missions.

 

The incessant chatting of my unit over the ordeal drove me mad, honestly. “Hey! Keep it down! Focus on the mission or I'll be dealing punishment later! Whatever gossiping you have to do, you can do it later!” Supposedly, my men feared me. That was why, according to the people of Sama, I was called the “Ice Knight.” It was a nickname born out of the fear of my soldiers.

 

“Geez, what's his deal? Didn't know he was a fan of the prince…”

 

I wasn't. I just… I don't know, felt bad, I suppose, for the position he'd gotten himself into. Even for a prince, he was the butt of a joke.

 

And then it happened, one night when I was training on my own in the nearby alpine wood. I enjoyed being alone, and so the woods were the perfect place for me to practice my own swordplay. But that particular night, I was agitated, alert by the evident sound of someone nearby. I had no need to draw my sword, however, for it was only the prince.

 

He sounded frustrated, grumbling to himself, tearing something apart… his own paintings of Selena. He clawed at them, ripping the canvas apart before throwing it in the river he sat by. He didn't notice me approaching at first. When he did finally notice me by the shadow of my silhouette in the moonlight, he gasped with fright. 

 

“D-Don't do that!!”

 

I think I had looked down at him with what must've seemed like contempt. “Didn't realize anybody would be up here so late.”

 

“I-I didn't know soldiers like to train up here…” he weakly defended himself. 

 

“Just me, actually.”

 

He was trying to cover up the paintings he made. I glanced at them. They weren't even very revealing pictures, simply captured portraits. Although the darkness of the night made it hard to see, I could see the careful details in Selena’s hair, the perfect blend of colors. “I'm sorry, please leave me be…”

 

“You know, there are sometimes monsters up here.” I wasn't kidding. As we spoke, I kept my hand on the handle of my sword.

 

“I-I'll be fine, really, Sergio.”

 

Hearing him say my name… It made me realize that the others rarely called me by name. I’d only been referred to as “Commander” or “The Ice Knight.” He remembered my name, despite the fact that I was but a dime in a dozen knight out of Sama’s thousands.

 

“You… remember my name?”

 

“Of course,” he said so matter-of-factly, still ripping his paintings. “I've heard wonderful stories about your endeavors. You’re from the cavalry, one of the commanders, in fact.”

 

“That’s… right…”

 

“Meanwhile I'm screwing everything up… It must be nice to be so respected amongst your group…” 

 

I found myself sitting next to him. “Truth be told, they only fear me. It’s not the same as real respect.”

 

“That's better than being the laughing stock of the whole kingdom,” he laughed, tiredly. “Look at me… I'm supposed to be a Prince, a vision of grace and finesse. Instead I'm just--” he chucked the painting into the water-- “a huge fool!!”

 

“Your Majesty…” That was when I truly felt pity for him. I had no clue what to say. Here he was, confiding to me as if we were old friends. I'd never held a conversation like this before, especially to someone of such high esteem as him. “I… um... they are very beautiful paintings, you know.”

 

He didn't look me in the eye at first. I feared I said the worst thing I could. Then he did look at me, two big, emerald eyes looking at me with what I could only think to be gratitude. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

 

I no longer held him to one personality of blind innocence and carelessness like before. He was human. He made mistakes. 

 

That is to say, he kept making mistakes. I heard not just the soldiers who came back from the navy complaining of the prince’s docile nature, but the townspeople of the Sama capital gossiping as well. Tales and accounts of conflicting navy decisions spread in the taverns and around the barracks where I frequented. Thankfully, I believe there weren’t any casualties caused by his indecision, only unrest. But unrest and fear of incompetent commanders in a time of war was far from a good thing.

 

I couldn’t help but pity him still.

 

I didn’t expect to see him again by the river, not even a month from our first real conversation. He didn’t have paintings with him that time. He simply sat there, without guard or care. As I approached, I realized he was crying, his sniffles drowned out by the babble of the river.

 

“Prince Arius?” I asked softly.

 

He curled up, pulling his knees closer to his chest. “Leave me be…”

 

I blatantly disobeyed, coming closer instead, standing next to him. “Didn’t expect to find you here again.”

 

He sniffled, taking a moment to clear his throat and regain what composure he might have lost in his tears. “I-I didn’t think you’d be up here again…”

 

“I said last time, this is my favorite training spot.” I looked out to the other side of the river, which itself spanned about thirty feet and ran deep and fast. “... I heard about the navy situation.”

 

“Yeah, well who hasn’t?” he snapped, immediately looking regretful after. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

 

“You’ve no need to apologize.” We stayed awkwardly silent for a moment. I was unsure of what to do. “Please pardon me for bringing it up… The last few months couldn’t have been easy on you.”

 

“... Did you hear about what happened today?” he asked after another brief bout of silence.

 

“No, actually. I’ve been here all day. What happened?”

 

He didn’t answer. I didn’t pry. “Sergio?...” He looked up at me with those emerald eyes. Those eyes that added that finishing touch to his innocent visage, that visage I used to resent for reasons unknown even to me...

 

“Y-Yes?”

 

“Can you… teach me what you know about fighting with your sword?”

 

It was such an abrupt and absurd request. Why me? “With all due respect, Your Majesty, don’t you have a tutor or something of that sort?” I didn’t know anything of how royalty lived or how they come to command their own military divisions, truth be told, but I was definitely confused as to why I was asked to fill this role.”

 

“Well, yes, but I’d like to learn from you.”

 

“Can I ask why?” I raised an eyebrow.   
  
“You seem like you’d make a good teacher. Please, I want you to teach me.”

 

“... Give me some time to think about it, okay?” I turned and left him there. He didn’t acknowledge what I said, or stop me in any way. He simply sat there, staring forlornly at the river.

 

It wasn’t until the next night that I found out what had happened.

 

On occasion, I’d give myself time at a nearby tavern to ease my worries with a drink or two. I always went alone, not wanting to associate too heavily with the urchins of my unit. I hung alone yet again that one particular night, in a corner at the bar, when I heard something that caught my attention…

 

“I still can’t believe Arius got told off like that.” It was one of the navy soldiers, distinguishable by the insignia on his jacket. “Major respect for Mega there.”   
  


“Heh, yeah. To think the Commander position got passed off to Mega too…”

 

“After a speech like that, you gotta give props to the prince for even looking the guy in the eyes.”

 

“Pfft, props to the prince? He had it coming. Good riddance.”

 

I listened intently. So Arius made that big of a move… Major props, indeed.

 

I made my decision then, rising from the bar and leaving, back to the woods. As I expected, Arius was there where I’d met him the first two times, only this time he wasn’t sitting around and moping. He was there, sword out and practicing his slashes on the air in front of him. He swung his sword with audible grunts. There was determination in his eyes.

 

“Arius,” I called out when I got there. He turned and looked at me with surprise. I was surprised to hear myself call him by his name. “I’ve made my decision. Your training starts right now.”


	2. 2: Moon Rabbit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sergio begins to teach Arius, he realizes just how innocent the prince still is in spite of what's happened. Then things get rocky as their relationship begins to get noticed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been more than a month! I got really unmotivated for a while, but I worked on this little by little until it was finally done.

“Once more! Off the ground!”

“Right, left, right!”

“Watch your stance! If you can’t keep your balance, you can’t expect to last out there!”

“Keep moving, or I'll end up slashing you!”

Shouting at the Prince was not befitting of a Knight, unless it was an emergency or under order of the King or Queen, yet that case was even rarer. But it became common occurrence quickly, as Prince Arius’ new secret tutor. We kept our newfound relationship on the down low, although there was concern pushed to the back of our minds that someone would find out eventually. No matter. There was work to be done.

I changed my daily routine, sneaking out and making my way to the river bank instead of sleeping in my bunk every night. Sure enough, there would be Arius, standing there with his sword already out and ready to spar. His talent alone bought him up to a high level of standards, but not quite to mine. Every now and then, he’d be too slow to react to a slash to the side, or he’d slip on fall on the cold, dirty ground, and I’d have to stop myself before I hit him.

I recall one particular day when I had set up some wooden dummies for him to practice on. With precision and grace in his step, he quickly dashed from target to target, slicing straw heads off and stabbing wooden torsos. He had a certain ferocity to him that his demeanor barely hinted at.

“Good,” was all I said at the end of the session. “You’re really getting that side-slash down.”

He looked at me as I approached. His forehead was trickling with sweat and he was panting, but he still held that look of determination. “You… really think so?”

“Mm.” I nodded. “But you need to work on stamina. You're already panting and we haven't even been training for two hours.”

For a brief moment, his composure broke a bit. He let out a loud sigh. “Ahh, I can't help it if I'm easily tired…” he half-whined. “Forgive me, Sergio. May we take a break?”

I nodded, inclined to allow it from his facial expression alone. “I think this should be good for tonight.” I sat down on a nearby log, with him finding a space next to me. I handed him a flask of water, and watched him gulp it down greedily.

“Ahh… Thank you, Sergio~” He handed it back to me. He leaned back a bit, looking up at the moon. “... Really, thank you.”

“Hm?” I looked at him in confusion.

He merely kept smiling up at the moon. “I mean… thanks for agreeing to teach me.”

“You say thanks every night. No need to tell me again.”

“You have no idea what this means to me, though…”

I guess I didn't. It was interesting to work with the prince. As I had mentioned before, he was strong and talented, but he needed the polish and refinement of experience to truly bring out his potential. That is to say…

“Sergio, Sergio look! The Moon Rabbit is up there again!”

… he’s still practically a kid.

“Moon Rabbit… What is that, exactly?”

He looked at me with big, innocent eyes. “You never heard of the story?”

“Enlighten me,” I said, leaning on my arm and looking up.

“Well… it's been awhile since my mother told me the story, but I can try!” He cleared his throat in an almost exaggerated manner. “There lived an Old Man in the Moon who watched over a forest with creatures who he loved very much. One day, he decided to visit while disguised as a beggar, and he met a Rabbit, Fox, and… um… let's say a Monkey. I think it was a Monkey.”

I nodded intently.

“The Old Man said ‘I am sorry, friends, but I am very hungry and weak. Can you please help me?’ So the animals go to get food. The Monkey and Fox bring back really good food, like fruits and nuts, but the Rabbit can't find anything but grass, so it returns sadly and asks its friends to collect firewood.”

“Firewood?”

“Yeah! So they light the firewood, and the Rabbit declares it'll jump into the fire to roast itself for the Old Man to eat, because the Rabbit couldn't bear to see him so miserable.”

“What? That's… really distressing.” What kind of child’s tale was this? The idea of sacrificing so much for someone…

“But then! The Old Man stops the Rabbit and reveals himself as the Man in the Moon. So he tells the Rabbit, ‘You have proven your generosity and kindness to me. I wish to not see you harmed, so I will take you to the Moon with me, where I will watch over you and we will watch over the world together.’ So he did! And now you can see them watching over us!”

“What about the Fox and Monkey? They did just as much work…” That story made less and less sense up until the end, but I had to admit it was amusing to hear the prince tell me such a story.

“They were happy for their friend, of course!” He grinned. “Because their friend finally found happiness…”

I stayed quiet, not knowing how to respond at first. I didn't want to be rude about how odd the story was. “Is never heard of such a story…”

“Your mom never told you folktales like that?” he asked.

“... I never had a mom.”

He looked surprised to hear that, for sure. He quickly bowed his head in apology. “Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't know…!”

“It's all right,” I assured him. There was a pause. Crickets chirped loudly, filling the silence. I decided to change the subject a bit. “So… did your mother tell you stories like that all the time?”

“Yes… She used to read to me out of this big storybook… I miss when I was child.” He looked down at the icy river, with an almost somber smile. “Back when there wasn't a lot expected of me… Oh, who am I kidding? The whole court expected me to be a great leader the moment they realized my ‘talent.’” He spat the word “talent” out like it was a joke.

“... You still could be,” I tried to comfort. He was still evidently shaken over what Mega said…

“Not the way things are now…” His smile finally faded. He looked much different without that cheerful smile, especially compared to just a moment ago. “My reputation may as well be completely tarnished…”

There was no denying that… Not after the whole fiasco with Selena and Mega. However, common decency prevented me from making such a comment.

Arius buried his face in his knees. “Father is still so displeased with me…” I did nothing to console him. I didn't know how to. He suddenly looked up at the sky again. “A-Ah, I should probably get going now. Someone might be looking for me…”

I nodded, trying to show at least part of my sympathy for him in my expression. “Right… I'll escort you.”

“I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Sergio…” he apologized softly. “And for eating up your time like this…”

“Please, think nothing of it, Your Majesty.”

He didn't answer. He merely continued looking straight ahead at the ground, head down like an ashamed child.

The next day marked the end of our nightly secret rendezvous. In the morning, before I could report for routine assignments, a young man with neat blond hair approached. His eyes were narrow like he was always simultaneously serious and annoyed.

“Sergio.” I recognized him then. He was the personal bodyguard of Arius, Lionel. If I remember correctly, they grew up together. From what I had heard from soldiers at the bar, Lionel may had even been involved with the scandal regarding Selena… but that was none of my business.

“Sir Lionel,” I greeted with a salute. “What brings you here?”

“We have a matter to discuss with you… Come this way.”

I followed Lionel from the barracks to the inside of the palace, to a large meeting room with a long table and many chairs. There, at the edge of the room, the King and Arius stood, the latter looking rather nervous.

“Knight Sergio…” the King began, that stern and serious face piercing right through even me. “You don't think I would've found out about this sooner?”

“Sir?” I asked, standing tall and straight, as expected of a Knight of Sama.

“You've been trying to train my son in secret, haven't you?”

“Father--” Arius tried to cut in.

“Don't speak out of line!” the King roared. Arius immediately shrunk back into his place. “Night after night, this boy has been sneaking out to see you, and you allowed it! Lionel, as his personal guard and retainer, I expect you to keep watch of him as well!”

Lionel merely looked down, at a loss for words.

Arius meekly raised his hand. “If I may…”

“Did you not hear me the first time?! What were you doing with my son?!”

“Your Majesty,” I spoke up, showing little fear in my voice. “Please, allow him to say his piece.”

The King looked at me distastefully. To be talked back to by a mere Knight… I considered myself lucky I still had a job after that. “Fine. What is it?”

“I-I had asked Sergio to train me in the ways of the sword…” Arius cleared his threat. “I ordered Lionel to allow me. I wanted to… to get better as a soldier, so that I may atone for the dishonor I brought upon myself…”

The old man looked down at him disdainfully before turning to the large window overlooking the capital of Sama. “... I see. But what of your actual teacher?”

Arius didn't answer at first. I studied his face in that moment. He looked rather nervous…

“I-I heard of how tactful and skilled Sergio was in previous battles… I thought maybe I'd learn faster under his tutelage…”

Nobody said anything for a frightening moment, although no more than a minute could've passed before his father spoke again. “Very well then. Sergio’s prowess in battle can't be denied, I suppose…” He stroked his beard and turned to me. “As of now, Sergio, I’d like for you to continue mentoring Arius. Maybe then he’ll be of better use on the battlefield.”

Arius looked ashamed for a split second, but recovered quickly. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“But, you must train together in a place where we may easily keep watch of you.” He leaned in scarily close to my face, making it impossible for me to look anywhere but in his eyes. “I'd prefer to know what exactly you do with my son…”

“S-Sir?” I raised an eyebrow, although I meant no offense. I was merely confused.

The King turned to Lionel. “Lionel, I entrust you to keep watch over these two when they do train.”

The blond nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“That'll be all. You are all dismissed.” He turned once more to the large window. Arius, Lionel, and I left the chamber immediately.

Once we were all out, Arius let out a sigh of relief. “That scared me half to death… I'm sorry you had to get involved like that, you two…”

In an instant, Lionel’s blank-faced expression faded, replaced with an unexpectedly friendly smile. “Please, Arius, it's no trouble. Though I didn't realize you were sneaking out to train with Sergio…”

“I'm sorryyyy!” Arius cried out. “I knew you'd get worried if I let you in on every detail!”  
L  
Lionel laughed. “It’s all over with. Don't worry about it.”

I stayed quiet once more, not knowing how to involve myself in the conversation. It was clear those two shared a special bond… But I suppose that was to be expected. They were childhood friends, and there I felt once more like an outsider. Then again, I was a mere knight in the presence of a prince and his bodyguard.

“Forgive me, I have some duties I must attend to…” Arius bowed politely to us. “Thank you two…”

“I'll catch up in a minute, Arius. I need to have a word with Sergio anyway…” Lionel waved as Arius nodded and left us in the hallway. No one else was around, as the maids and butlers likely still hadn't reported for duty that early in the morning.

Once the prince was out of view, Lionel glared at me with the same dead-serious expression as before. “So you're the reason why the prince wanted to sneak out so badly…”

“He only asked me out of circumstance,” I explained, my eyes narrowing. I didn't like how he was talking to me, as if I was being accused of something. “He happened to see me at my training spot a couple of times and asked to train with me.”

His sky blue eyes pierced through me, surveying me up and down. “I've heard of you as well, Sergio… I don't trust you to train the prince, just so we’re clear.”

“And why is that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Please…” he scoffed. “Listen here, Ice Knight. If I hear one dissatisfactory word from him, I'll be sure to respond swiftly. To you.”

With that, he walked off, fists clenched like I couldn't see them. Sheesh, what an emotional guy…

Yet I didn't understand the cause of his threat. But I suppose it was mandatory for the bodyguard of a prince to look out for his master. But it wasn't as if I was going to hurt Arius…

Perhaps he thought I would talk down on him like Mega, or hurt him emotionally. As if he hadn't been through enough… and as if I were capable of such a thing…

No, I was capable of doing such a thing. My reputation as the Ice Knight entailed that I was sharp-tongued and more than prepared to lash out at those who dissatisfied me. But that didn't mean I wanted to do so to Arius. He was different from those I worked with. He had an air of innocence, as someone who didn't experience many battles. He still kept that innocence despite what he had been through recently. It was clear it had affected him deeply.

I made a silent pledge to myself that day.

Although I was not his bodyguard, I swore to protect and teach Arius, so he wouldn't have to experience that pain again, just as the Old Man wanted the Rabbit safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins a potential friendship triangle and a really unfitting extended metaphor...


	3. 3. Bottled Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio becomes aware of just how much Arius is going through as the Prince that had lost the faith of nearly all his people. Perhaps he wasn't so innocent to the cruelty of the world after all. But what can one feared knight do...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to balance working on this fic and the Shida x Yuura one, so expect updates between the two to alternate!

Ever since our little chat with the King of Sama, Arius and I were to train in the appropriately-named area near the soldiers’ barracks. Under normal circumstances, members of the royal family rarely, if ever, witnessed what took place within the walls of the soldiers' grounds, as it was a place comparable to the dirty alleyways where the poor lived: unfit for royal feet to walk upon. Yet there was Arius every dawn, awake with the majority of soldiers and knights-in-training, greeting me with a smile and a hand on his sword's handle.    
  
If it bothered me to feel the eyes of dozens watching us and piercing every movement our body made, I could only imagine how the Prince fared. To make matters even more uncomfortable, his retainer, Lionel, had made it clear he would be as vocal as he'd like since the first day.    
  
"Come on, Arius! You can take him! Strike him down!”   
  
And the rest would follow suit.    
  
"Yeah, kick his ass!"   
  
"Him, kick  _ Sergio's _ ass?! Hah, as if!"   
  
"Place your bets here! Who's gonna bite the dust today?!"   
  
I soon started to miss when we would train alone in the woods at night. At least then, I'd be able to hear myself think, accompanied by the soothing sound of the river flowing beside us, and the crickets chirping. It was, in a way, more private, more intimate, to be alone with the Prince.   
  
Although it appeared to the other soldiers that the Prince hadn't made progress in combat prowess, I could see his improvement even under the circumstances. That was good. In the heat of battle, nobody is going to quiet down and allow one to get their thoughts straight. His every move was a bit more agile than the last, his limbs moving with more dexterity, more fluidity to match the water he controlled at his fingertips. His sword appeared to have become lighter in his hand as he swung it, yet the force when it would clash with my blade was enough to make me push back with effort.    
  
I was proud of him. I wanted to tell him that, but my pride and reputation stilled my words. If others heard what I truly wanted to say to him, I was almost certain to lose control and morale amongst my unit. They were rowdy enough as it were.

 

One day, as the crowd cleared around us after I had once again worked him into surrender on the ground, I approached him to offer my hand, only for Lionel to help him up first. The blond man shot me a quick glare before returning his attention to Arius. I didn’t know at the time why he acted in such a manner towards me. He looked at me as if I were about to play a cruel prank on the Prince if given the chance.   
  
"You were exemplary today, my liege," he said. "Truly, you are getting better each day."   
  
The young prince smiled at his words. "Thank you. Although I believe I still have work to do..."   
  
"Nonsense! Why, I think you're finally on your way to tripping Sergio into the dust." Lionel chuckled, as if the three of us were already the best of friends. But I could sense the cleverly-concealed insult in his voice.   
  
"No," I interrupted, sheathing my sword. "While you are getting better, you still need to work on that agility. Not to mention, your balance and posture."   
  
Arius nodded. "Yes, I know. I'm working on it." He bowed to me slightly, shocking both Lionel and me. For a member of royalty to bow to someone of a lesser class, and out of nowhere at that... "Thank you for training with me, Sergio."   
  
I was at a loss for words at first. "O-Of course," I finally managed, bowing back. It was only right.   
  
"Ah, Sergio? Would you please meet privately with me later at my quarters, at noon?” Arius asked, not bothering to lower his voice even as other soldiers lingered around us. He didn’t seem to notice the implications of his request… but as a loyal Knight of Sama, I suddenly found myself unable to refuse.

 

“Of course,” I bowed. With that, the Prince left with Lionel in tow. 

 

I couldn’t quite understand myself, as in I couldn’t understand why I would do such a thing… but I found myself smirking at the peeved bodyguard as he left, close to Arius’ side.

 

I wasn’t quite out of hot water, however. As I continued to train by myself, I could hear other men snicker and gossip within the shade of the nearby posts. They whispered, yet spoke loud enough for me to hear…

 

“Another scandal with the Prince? And this time, the Ice Knight is involved?”   
  
“What do you think they’re up to? Maybe they’re out to peep in on Selena when she comes back to the capitol next week…”   
  
“Or maybe they’re secretly lovers…”

 

“That’s enough,” I said, with as much firm authority I could muster despite my frustration. “You two, do you want to run twenty laps around the perimeter again?”   
  
“A-Ah, no sir!” one replied hastily. “Forgive us, I didn’t realize my friend here was speaking so loudly…”   
  
“Idiot! Don’t throw me under the bus!” the other hissed.

 

“What the Prince and I discuss or do is not your concern,” I glared down at them. “As your commanding officer, I ought to punish you for speaking so lowly of your Prince..”   
  
“But sir,” the first one spoke up. “Prince Arius… He’s merely an independent foot soldier now, isn’t he? Does that not put him at a lower--” He was quickly elbowed by his subordinate, but my temper was all too apparent at that point.

 

“Twenty laps, both of you! Now!!” I snapped, watching the two run off in a hurry.

 

The nerve of these people… thinking they could spit such lowly commentary at Arius. He was trying, he was! But no matter what he did, there was always something against him. There was always someone gossiping about him in the tavern, or someone’s child innocently mocking his name in the streets. He made mistakes, but he sure as hell did not deserve such treatment, even if he was unaware…

 

… Or was he aware?

 

I recall an incident just a few days prior, when I was paying a visit to the market when I noticed Arius and Lionel talking to Mega by the docks, where the Sama Navy was to depart soon enough. Then I heard it, we all heard it, the commotion. Drunken sailors and navy soldiers were yelling not too far away, throwing both vague jeers to the Prince’s past leadership, loudly proclaiming they were better off without him as their Commander.

 

“He-Hey, it’s the Prince!”

 

“Things have been  _ much _ better now that Mega’s leader! You ought to see how things have changed!”

 

“Yeah!! Things have never been this good since your big brother was in charge!”

 

Mega had barked at his soldiers, calling them insubordinate and apologizing to Arius for his unit’s behavior. I only saw the poor Prince turn on his heel and leave, with Lionel scrambling to follow.

 

“Let’s go, Lionel,” I heard him say as he passed me, standing off to the side. He looked heartbroken.

 

No… he  _ was  _ heartbroken. There was no mistaking the miserable look in his eye. He looked as if he wanted to cry, but didn’t.

 

But when I met him later that day and asked him if he was fine, he merely turned to me with a normal, cheerful smile, that innocent smile that I… that I wanted to protect so badly.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

 

Perhaps he wasn’t so innocent as I thought. He just wanted to get away from all the scandals and mockery thrown his way. He wanted to be happy. That much I figured out on my own.

 

I made my way to the Prince’s quarters at noon, right on the dot. The inside of the castle was lavishly decorated, especially the wing where the royal family resided. I felt inadequate to walk upon the carpet, even as a Knight who frequently walked within the castle walls to attend to my duties. It was easy to find Arius’ room, as Lionel was stationed right outside the door, glaring at me as I approached. It was… uncomfortable, to say the least.

 

“Lionel,” I said, almost as a greeting.

  
“Sergio,” he greeted back. “State your business.”   
  
“Prince Arius asked for me to see him in his quarters at noon.” I couldn’t help but fuel whatever resentment he held towards me. “I believe you were there when he requested it.” Somehow it felt satisfying to see his brow furrow further.   
  
“Oh, right,” he sarcastically quipped. “I could only imagine your excitement…”   
  
“Excuse me?”   
  
“Please, you must think you’re special, being asked to come up here. Don’t think highly of yourself.”   
  
My eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”   
  
Before he could answer, the door opened, revealing Arius. “Oh, Sergio! You’re here! I thought I heard your voice. What were you two talking about?”

 

Lionel and I had both straightened up in his presence, as if on instinct. We exchanged a quick glance before he spoke for the both of us. “Nothing important.”   
  
“All right…” Clearly, the young Prince was suspicious, but he allowed it to slide. “Please, come in, Sergio. Lionel, please wait out here.”

 

I nodded and followed Arius inside. To be inside a royal family member’s suite was not that big of a deal if one was say, a servant or maid. But it was rare for a mere solder such as myself to step into the bedroom. That is, unless it was for… no! There will be no room for such vulgar thoughts, especially regarding Arius.

 

“So… what is it you wanted to see me for?” I asked, less tense now that Lionel was out of the picture. Well, he was outside, but it occurred to me that this was the first time in a while since Arius and I were able to talk in private, just the two of us.

 

He quickly walked to his desk on the far end of the room and held up a big, leather-bound and worn-out book proudly, with a wide smile on his face. “Look what I found, Sergio!”   
  


“... That is a book.”   
  
He gestured for me to come over and pulled a chair over before sitting down. “Not just any book! Remember when I told you that story about the Moon Rabbit?”   
  
I found myself smiling fondly at his excitement. “Yes… I do.”   
  
“I found this in the library the other day,” he said, turning the pages. “This was the storybook my mother read from when I was little.”

 

“You’re still little, Your Majesty,” I joked, suddenly feeling a sense of familiarity with him, like we were old friends. 

 

Thankfully, I didn’t seem to offend him. He giggled playfully. “Sergio, that’s mean!”

 

I couldn’t help but laugh, and naturally at that. “Well you are.”

 

He turned to a page depicting an illustration of an old man with a rabbit in his hands, ascending to the moon and leaving a few woodland creatures behind. Arius pointed to the illustration happily, with childlike glee.

 

“Look! See, see! This is the story!” He was excited for such a trivial thing. Something nagged at the back of my mind, the part of me that found such behaviour obnoxious.

 

Why was he thinking about this book and its stories at the time of war? Had he nothing better to do than waste time like this? Surely he could be doing something else… It was only a matter of time until the gods invaded even Sama...

 

His smile suddenly turned sad, remaining on his face but with a sense of forlorn sentimentality. “What am I doing…” he mumbled. “Everyone’s working so hard, yet… I’m wasting time here, and now I’m wasting your time too...”

 

“Your Majesty…?” So he shared the same mentality… or at least, was aware of it.

 

“I’m sorry, Sergio. I-I thought we could take a break to just… well, take a break together. I wasn’t thinking of how busy you must be.”

 

He was sad once again, but I couldn’t find the words to make him better again. “It’s all right, though. It’s just free time for me anyway.” I spoke again when he didn’t answer right away. “Prince Arius… are you okay?”   
  


He didn’t meet my gaze. Come to think of it, he hadn’t looked me in the eye since he opened the book. “P-Please forgive my selfishness, Sergio,” he suddenly said. “I just-- I don’t know why, but I just wanted you here, okay? I was using this book as an excuse.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I-I don’t know! I just wanted someone to talk to, a-and I thought maybe I could… I just…” He heaved a heavy sigh. “I wanted to talk to you again… but I didn’t know how, so I…” He stopped trying to finish his sentence. “I’m sorry, I really am pathetic…”

 

“No, you aren’t,” I argued. “Why would you want to talk to me, though…? Why not Lionel or a trusted servant? I’m no good with words or comfort…”

 

“Because… I don’t know,” he admitted. “I never opened up to anyone like that night when you found me by the river. Not even with Lionel. He’d just talk and talk without completely listening to my side of the story sometimes… But I shouldn’t be burying you with my personal problems either.”

 

“You aren’t burying anyone in your problems.” I pulled up a chair next to him. “In fact, you’re so good at hiding them that I certainly didn’t suspect a thing. But… if you want to talk now…”

 

He stayed quiet for a moment, resting a hand on the book. “... You were there that day when Mega’s men started jeering at me, weren’t you? I saw you there.”

 

“... Yes. I was at the market.”

 

Arius laughed wearily. “So you know, don’t you? How much I have to endure every time I go out in public?” His voice wavered. “I-I thought about just giving up entirely and staying here, but… but I have my honor to restore, so I have to get stronger as a foot soldier! But hearing everyone insult me in the training grounds is just… just really disheartening.”

 

I was about to try and comfort him when I saw a tear roll down his cheek. “Arius…”

 

“I-I don’t know what to do anymore, Sergio…” he whimpered like a kicked dog. “How can I keep facing all these failures when nobody will support me? I’m trying, I really am! B-But nobody will let me forget all those mistakes I made!”

 

He was close to shouting now, crying like a lost child. I was in shock of how suddenly and how quickly we got there, but then it hit me. He’d been bottling all this up for so long. And of all people who were actually capable of comforting him, he came to me.I couldn’t prepare any words to say, yet I found myself speaking as soon as I could. “Arius, you’ve got many people behind you. Although they don’t say it, even I could tell they appreciate your efforts.”

 

He sniffled. “O-Oh yeah? Who, then?”

 

“Your family, your servants, Lionel… and me.” I offered the handkerchief in my pocket to him, to which he gratefully took and dabbed his tears away with.

 

“R… Really?”

 

I nodded. Although I knew none of them personally, I could tell I was right. “You’re not alone, Arius. Maybe the people don’t see your efforts now, but I’m sure one day they will. And even if they don’t, you have all of us behind you. You’re still our beloved prince.”

 

He finally started to calm down, breathing heavily. “I… okay. Thank you, Sergio…” He wiped the rest of his tears away. “I’m sorry to suddenly drop all that on you…”

 

“It’s really no trouble, Your Majesty. If you ever need to talk again…”

 

He inhaled, and exhaled once more to calm himself further. “I think I’ll be okay for now. Thank you for coming here… You’re a good friend.” 

 

It was then that he looked up at me with his big eyes once again. I felt… comforted, yet flustered at his heavy gaze. He’d called me his friend. I was his friend. He was smiling again, but it was one laced with gratitude and a sort of intimacy different than his cheerful smiles from before. I was that much closer to the Prince-- no, to Arius. He looked up to me, and I could’ve sworn he was drawing closer when--

 

“Prince Arius!” Lionel called from outside the door. “Permission to enter?”

 

“Oh, Lionel? Yes, come in!” Arius answered, and suddenly his attention was drawn away from me.

 

The blond retainer opened the door with a sense of urgency. “Prince Arius, Sir Sergio! There’s an emergency meeting being called right now for all soldiers!”

 

Behind him, we could see the other princes run down the hall, presumably to hear the news at the capitol square. Arius watched with confusion and worry clear on his face. “W-What’s going on?”

 

“The Gods are here. They’ve set foot on Sama.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which there's finally maybe a sense of possible gay romance... but will Lionel get in the way?

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know when the next part will be, but let's hope it's soon!


End file.
